


jump in the line

by Cicadaemon



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Family Reunions, Kass and Brasidas are major pining and everyone ships it, Multi, Mutual Pining, POV Alternating, Slow Burn, Summer Vacation, porn is in chapter 4
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:14:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23797495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cicadaemon/pseuds/Cicadaemon
Summary: Preparing for what should be a tedious week-long family reunion, Kassandra isn't expecting much other than awkward encounters with relatives she barely knows and some drunken nights on the beach with her brother. What she isn't expecting is the arrival of old family friends and their son. Their hot and very single son. To be expected, chaos and some sexual tension ensue.
Relationships: Alexios/Lykaon (Assassin's Creed), Brasidas/Kassandra (Assassin's Creed)
Comments: 22
Kudos: 82





	1. ♫ you put the spark to the flame ♫

**Author's Note:**

> This started off as a conversation between me and ao3 user tutivilllus (who you should check out and their excellent fic 'wine-dark seas') about Kassandra and Brasidas pining after each other while everyone around them is just screaming "get together". Which morphed into this.
> 
> edit: I changed the title name cause I wasn't satisfied lol

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _She felt like she had fallen into a romance book written for white moms with unsatisfying lives. How was it she had just suddenly met a man on some idyllic little island who just ticks off every single box that gets her loins aflame? She opened and closed her mouth, unsure exactly how to respond. Asking him if he could just take her now on the dinner table seemed too inappropriate._

There were ten thousand other things Kassandra would have rather been doing than being shoved into the family car with her grown brothers on the way to some week-long party with relatives she hadn’t seen since she was twelve.

“It’s a nice break!” Her mother had exclaimed as three of them grumbled, packing their belongings into the trunk of the old car. “Consider it a vacation.”

“A vacation surrounded by people I am not related to but obligated to call ‘auntie’ or ‘papa’. Sounds delightful.” Stentor had all but thrown his luggage in. “And said ‘auntie’ will get drunk on weak white wine while cooing about what a handsome young man I am while her husband is off being a disappointment-”

“And uncle Pleistrachos always makes jokes about me finally meeting a girl when I have told him three times over I am into dicks,” Alexios whined, interrupting Stentor which earned him a dirty look from said man.

Her mother hadn’t the chance to scold them when Nikolaos had decided to act like a proper parent. “You are all grown men.” He had said with a heavy sigh, bringing the last suitcase. “Act like it.”

Kassandra hadn’t really protested. A week-long vacation on her grandparent’s vineyard? Away from the mainland? Delightful. Interacting with relatives she really didn’t know or care to know? Painful. But she had kept her mouth shut knowing that complaining would get her nowhere and that Alexios and Stentor would do all the complaining for her. 

The ride out was nice, reminding her of her childhood where they’d all cram into the backseat of this very car as they’d travelled down the Argolic Gulf to their summer home in southern Peloponnese. They’d fight over snacks, or play games of eye spy at stops. There was the memorable time where their father had nearly run over a goat as it ran out into the street and he had spent a solid 30 minutes in an argument with the farmer who had let them run wild.

She took to enjoying every moment before she’d be forced to smile and pretend to like people whose only connection to her was through her grandfather. Hell, she took to enjoy the first quiet moments she’d had in months. It wasn’t like Kassandra’s job was hard but she wasn’t one to sit still and do nothing. And while the ferry ride out was maddening, it was also nice. 

“We are going to get so drunk tonight.” Alexios had said with a laugh, leaning over her as she looked out across the bounding waves. “Mama said that they’ve got huge barrels of wine on the farm and that there is a liquor store right in town. We are partying.”

The other good part of this was spending time with Alexios, who had been preoccupied with school and a boyfriend the past several thousand months. That and they were no longer living in the same city anymore. They were bound to fuck it up and spend most of the week partying down by the water at least 10% drunk the entire time. And it would be fucking delightful.

“Is Lykaon gonna come down?” She had turned to him with a smile. “I doubt you passed the opportunity to ask him.”

At that Alexios has smiled sheepishly. She knew even with his sunglasses on he wouldn't meet her eyes. “Maybe. He’s busy even in the summer. He did say he’d try to make it down the first chance he got.”

It was sweet watching how her little brother blushed and sighed over Lykaon. They’d had just passed two years together and their mother was holding out on a wedding coming any day now.

Stentor had interrupted them than with his phone shoving into Alexios’ face bragging about some sort of shit. She looked forward to spending time with Stentor if only that she thrived off his misery that was due to come.

From the ferry, they made their way inland, renting a car that somehow seemed older than the one they left parked on the mainland. This was not the first time they had been to their grandparent’s vineyard. Most summers had been spent there with fond memories and scars from climbing and falling out of trees to prove it. The road they travelled on was one that brought back nostalgia, as the landscape and the town had barely changed. Soon, they were in the country and then to the large vineyard.

The land had belonged to the family for what seemed like an eternity, and her grandfather had turned an extraordinary profit with it. The house was beautiful and idyllic; right on the shoreline with acres of grapevines as a backsplash. The house itself was grand and gorgeous, three stories with a terrace that opened to an infinity pool (a recent addition which had not been there the last time she had visited). But the house was old, warm and cozy like it had always been. Welcoming, just like the two people who had greeted them out in the driveway.

Her mother, Myrrine, had gone running to them, nearly leaping into the man’s open arms. The woman had laughed loud and gestured for them to come over. Her grandparents had aged, both grey and more wrinkled, but the light that the had always excluded had not diminished at all.

“My God, this can’t be Alexios.” Her grandfather exclaimed, holding his arms out to her brother. “You’ve gotten huge.”

Alexios had laughed and gone happily into the hug that was offered. “I’ve been hitting the gym more.”

Kassandra laughed as she watched her grandmother fuss over Stentor. He had been adopted when she was about seven, but there had never been once a moment where the woman had not treated him like he wasn’t blood. And that meant all the grandmotherly affection and worry the world had to offer.

“You need to take better care of yourself, you're nearly all bone.” She sighed, fixing his hair. Stentor scowled, but the blush that settled on his cheeks betrayed him.

“And here’s Kassandra.” Her grandfather’s attention turned from Alexios to her, his gold eyes shining bright. “My favourite granddaughter.”

“Yes, and your only granddaughter.” She retorted, smiling.

“And still my most favourite. Come here.”

Leonidas and Gorgo had always been good grandparents. And ones that she had wished she visited more often. It had been two years since she had last been here and at that moment, in her grandfather’s arm, she really felt how long it had been.

“Your brother is already here.” Gorgo turned to Myrrine. “He just arrived this morning and was asking for you right away.”

The grimace that crossed Alexios’ face was not missed by Kassandra, which led her to laugh and try to cover it up with a cough. Myrrine just smiled. “I’m glad. I haven't seen Pleistrachos for so long. I almost thought he wasn’t going to come.”

“Same here. Your uncles are here too. And your cousins.” 

She nearly groaned at that. Kassandra had been hoping for at least a few hours without so many guests. She shared a quick look with both Alexios and Stentor before being instructed by their father to help with the luggage.

It turned out she’d be sharing a bedroom with her brother’s after all which was just a horrifying thought when she remembered that both of them snored like they were trying to wake the dead. From there she met with the relatives. 

There was something about being around old people that just made her uncomfortable. Maybe it was the way it felt like they were talking down to her like she was a child or just the simple fact that they were old. Either way, she hated it. On her grandfather’s side, Dorieus and Klembrotos who both had children of their own. Euryanax was a cousin she had seen often enough and was one of the few faces she was almost happy to see. Nikomedes was the only of Klembrotos’ to come, though his grandson, Pleistoanax had come. Kassandra was near on relieved to find out Pleistoanax’s only son, Pausanias had not been able to take time off work. The last time she had seen that brat, he nearly killed her and was 95% sure it was on purpose. Their respective wives had come too, and it made Kassandra realize that her brothers were the only ones her age around. And it suddenly made the week seem longer.

She had artfully avoided such questions as “how are you still single” and “when are you ever going to go back and finish your studies”. She had been trapped in a conversation with Edvoxia, her aunt through Nikomedes, about the apparent science behind healing stones and whatever shit when dinner had been called. 

Dinner had been good, a smorgasbord of various dishes, ranging from fish to lamb to even some squid. The olives were grown in the next lot over, the neighbours who use to give her hell for climbing up into the trees and breaking the branches. They were near on addictive as she couldn’t help but pop one in her mouth between each bite of meat. Kassandra had been so entranced in the meal and even the conversation which had picked up now that it was no longer on her, that she hadn’t noticed the empty seats. They had all been seated in specific spots, with her sitting beside Euryanax’s wife, Apostolia, who then sat next to Stentor. She had laughed when Apostolia’s attention had turned to her brother, who was nearly bright red.

Dinner slowly came to an end, and when dessert was served, the last of the guests arrived.

“We are so sorry!” A woman’s voice came from the open doors. They’d been seated outside in the courtyard, where the smell of the ocean and climbing roses that marked the walls mixed so beautifully together. “I hope you got my call.”

The woman now appeared. She was beautiful, to say the least, with strong cheekbones and dark, thick hair. Beside her was what she assumed would be her husband, equally dark-haired and tanned nicely. They seemed familiar, but not so much so that she could put a name. But at their arrival, Myrrine jumped up and a few others at the table greeted them with warmth.

“Argileonis!” Her mother cried out. She went over to greet the woman and trapped her in a tight hug. She laughed, a clear and sweet thing, as she wrapped her arms around Myrrine. 

“My god woman it had been too long.”

“You look good! And Tellis, you barely have aged!”

Her grandmother smiled up at the two new guests. “I’m glad you could come. I got your call do not worry. I hope work wasn’t too hard on you.”

The man, Tellis, smiled sheepishly. “I feel bad for being the delay. A new case was given to me just last week and has been taking up more of my time than I would like.”

“Were your boys able to come?” Myrrine asked, looking hopeful. “I haven’t seen them since the youngest was a baby.”

It was then that Kassandra remembered exactly who they were. Tellis and Argileonis Kokkinos, old family friends that she had met once. She knew that it had been the two fathers who had been friends and that an even truer friendship had been formed between their daughters. Myrrine had talked about her every so often, but not enough that the name had stuck. Somewhere along the line, they had been unable to see each other as the distance became an issue. Kassandra was sure though that they talked on the phone often enough. She had met one of the ‘boys’ mention, a lanky thing the same age as her. His name hadn’t stuck in her head but was sure it started with an E.

“The two youngest couldn't. Eryalus ended up moving to Canada after all. And my baby is off still abroad studying.” There was obvious pride in her faces as she mentioned her sons. “My oldest was able to come along. Out of work for the summer, which he’s been using to his advantage. It took nearly all the begging in the world to get him to drop his extra work to come out this way.”

One of her aunts, Evangelia, sighed at the news. “I am so glad to about Eryalus. He got married, no?”

She beamed with even more pride if that was even possible. “Yes! Iris is such a good daughter-in-law. I am sad to see my boy go, but he is following his heart and that is what makes me proudest. Her family is all in North America and he got offered a job through his father-in-law’s company. It’s good money and good work.”

There were congratulations and Gorgo motioned the two to take their seats.

“Where is your son then,” Nikolaos asked, moving to the next seat over so Argileonis could sit next to Myrrine. “Is he coming tomorrow?”

Tellis shook his head, taking the plate of dessert offered to him. “He’s putting the luggage upstairs. He should be down in a moment. He wanted us to greet all of you first.”

There was a round of ‘how thoughtful’ and other little quips before they settled back into the food. Kassandra paid half attention to it, as it now was about catching up on the lives of these two new guests. And that half attention was completely drawn away and turned full, by the man who entered through the glass doors next.

The first thing that crossed her mind seeing him was that he was gorgeous, even more so than his mother. He was about Kassandra’s age, tall and broad. His skin was a nicely tanned olive, but lighter compared to Tellis. His brown hair was cut short and had a neatly cut thick beard. One thing that she could not help but notice was how goddamn stacked he was, with thick biceps and thighs. The pink polo he wore just clung to him and those white shorts left little to the imagination. She felt no guilt at eyeing up his crotch with delight. Aphrodite herself would swoon over him. In fact, she had crossed her own legs without even really thinking about it. It was nearly embarrassing how suddenly turned on she was.

“Took you long enough, Brasidas.” Argileonis jokingly chided. “We thought you got lost.”

His laughed, rivalled hers in beauty. It was a sharp and clear thing that just sounded good. No descriptors. Just. Good. “I nearly did. The house is monstrous. Leonidas, you will have to tell me if you ever plan to sell.”

Her grandfather laughed at that. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Tellis had been looking at the man with the same sort of pride Argileonis had worn earlier. “This is my son, Brasidas. He’s grown a lot since you’ve last seen him.”

Her mother nodded, obviously shocked. “No kidding. The last time I saw him, he couldn’t have been more than ten?”

“Ah, so you saw me when I was still in my cute phase.” He teased her which elicited some laughter from the table. “It is good to see you Myrrine. I still have that book on the Forum Romanum you sent me some time ago. I nearly have it read to the point where the binding is falling apart.”

Myrrine seemed pleased at that. “I’m so glad. Are you still interested in Roman history?”

He nodded and gave a smile, all toothy and sweet. “Went off to school and majored in it. I ended up going back to get my teacher’s degree.”

Argileonis’ smile seemed strained as he mentioned that. If it was noticed, it wasn’t mentioned by anyone at the table. Instead, Gorgo directed him where to sit. Which was the empty seat right next to Kassandra.

Before dinner, Myrrine had made all three of them get dressed into something nice, as the rest of their relatives had done so too. She had opted for one of the only dresses brought along, a black floral dress that was cut shorter in the front and showed off most of her legs. She was suddenly glad for it when Brasidas had laid eyes on her, smiling that sweet grin once more. 

“You must be Kassandra then?” He had asked, taking his seat. The conversation around the table went back to where it left off and attention was not on them at all. She was glad about it cause she was sure she was blushing.

“Yes. How do you-”

“My mother was directing me on who everyone would be here. I was made to memorize names. She should be thankful I got a good memory.” He replied with a laugh. She laughed too, girlish and not herself. 

Kassandra felt herself doing something that she had never done before, lacking words. She prided herself on her quick wit and sharp tongue, but now? All her mind could go to was how attracted she was to this man. And she hated herself for.

“S-so…” She finally said, her words hesitant. “You're a teacher?”

He nodded. Brasidas seemed incapable of not smiling, as his lips were still perked up in the smallest of ones. “Yes. I teach high school. My mother would have preferred me to become a lawyer like my father, but one of her children had to end up a disappointment at least. I took on that duty happily. It’s a fun job.”

A history teacher. For high school. She felt like she had fallen into a romance book written for white moms with unsatisfying lives. How was it she had just suddenly met a man on some idyllic little island who just ticks off every single box that gets her loins aflame? She opened and closed her mouth, unsure exactly how to respond. Asking him if he could just take her now on the dinner table seemed too inappropriate. 

“What about you?” He cocked his head to the side slightly, eyes twinkling. She was pleasantly surprised to see they were a greenish colour. They looked brown from far away. “What do you do?”

Kassandra nearly forgot what she did for a living, her mind refusing to work. “I… work as a fitness instructor. I use to play volleyball and I wanted to do something that tested me physically. I work in tandem with physiotherapists.”

“Sounds like rewarding work.” He commented. He leaned his arm against the table, seemingly enthralled in only her, which sent her blushing again. “I suppose if it’s something you enjoy doing, it must be satisfying?”

For the first time, she had smiled at him, conscious of her teeth. “Definitely. I was going to school for a bit for literature studies but ended up dropping out after one semester. I didn’t enjoy it at all.”

“Smart choice. There’s nothing worth than dragging yourself through something that won’t bring you happiness. My youngest brother, Aridolis, he’s currently studying-” Brasidas air quoted with his fingers at ‘studying’. “-in Italy at the moment. He changed his course the second he realized he hated it. Why waste money on something you hate?”

“Studying?” She pressed, leaning in slight. He grinned at that. It was at that she noticed that his two front teeth were crooked and overlapped a little. Finally, an imperfection. Yet, it seemed to add to his charm.

“He’s smart. But he’s spending most of his time partying. It’s why he’s not home for the summer. That kid is probably pressing his face into any pair of willing tits and boarding on alcoholism.”

Kassandra could not keep a laugh back at that. “So he’s doing school right then?”

Brasidas chuckled at that, “Yeah, I guess you can say that.”

The conversation was smooth sailing from there; it came more than easy, it was completely natural. She couldn't be pressed later on what they were really talking about, it wasn't what they were talking about that really mattered. Eventually, the table got cleared and everyone made their way to the patio that had a clear view of the ocean. Alexios and Stentor had excused themselves, declaring they’d make their way into the town to go grab liquor and other things. That left Kassandra with Brasidas, as they made their way down to the docks.

They were far down the hill, and nearly out of sight of the house. There were two levels to them, one holding some lounge chairs and the other right on the water. The opted to sit on the latter. Taking off their shoes, they both tipped their feet into the warm water, sitting closer than what should appropriate and continued to talk.

“I feel like I should hate you now,” She teased him. “I, a woman living in Athens talking to someone from Sparta?”

He laughed at that. She found that he seemed more loose and easy away from everyone. His laughs and smiles seemed more relaxed. “I promise you, we aren’t as bloodthirsty as you think. I was living right outside of the city till recently. In Kladas. It was shockingly expensive.”

“Imagine living in Athens. I don't know if I'd stay if my parents were living there. My mother grew up here, but my dad is actually from the city. He apparently moved to Athens after a family dispute.”

Brasidas nodded at that. “I feel that. My parents are from Kalamata and I only moved to Sparta because I wanted... I guess to get away from them. I studied in Athens and took the first job I could get.”

She was shocked by this. For some reason, the demeanour of his parents made her assume they were good people. She supposed his comment earlier about being a disappointment wasn’t as much of a joke as she had thought.

“I’d love to move back to Athens.” He continued. “I enjoyed studying there, but it would require me to find a job in there and well. That’s not always an easy task.”

“It wouldn’t be easy dropping everything.” She agreed. “You’d probably have to leave behind a few friends and your girlfriend.” She eyed him up curiously what he would say to the last part and to her delight her laughed.

“No girlfriend.” He said with a grin. “I haven’t been in a relationship where it lasted more than two dates in about six years.”

Her heart twisted with pity, giving a sympathetic look to him. “What a shame.”

He shrugged it off. “It doesn’t bother me. I wasn’t looking to settle. How about you? Are… are you dating?”

She shook her head. The topic was a little sore, but she didn't mind telling him. “I haven’t. The last major relationship I was in I got cheated on.”

Brasidas sucked in one sharp breath, his expression disgusted. “Your ex is an idiot.”

“No kidding.”

“Give me their address, once this week is over I can go lecture them.”

“Oh my god.” She snorted at the thought. “He’d probably try to start a fight with you. He was a real idiot, but decent in bed. I suppose it was a balancing act.”

It was the first time she had seen him without a trace of a smile on his face. His expression deadpan as he said, “I also have a good punch.”

That sent her laughing uncontrollably, which seemed to be what he wanted. That smile returned to his face, full and wide. He laughed with her and pressed his shoulder against her a little. The touch sent a shockwave through her which curbed Kassandra’s laughter.

After a while, Alexios came bounding down the stairs, calling for her. Apparently, they had been missed. He went rushing back up before she could shout some smart ass comment at him.

“I suppose that’s our cue.” He said, suppressing a yawn. “Time to go.”

He held a hand out to her. Normally Kassandra would scoff at this sort of gesture, getting up on her own. But for him, she took it. As he pulled her up, she realized how much strength was in those arms of his. She made a note to remember this later when she’d be thinking about him in the tub. Probably masturbating, but she hadn’t really settled on that yet.

Brasidas had wished her good night with a small touch to her arm when they made it back up to the house. She had turned to the opened door where music and conversation was coming from. She even made a comment about how they were playing Elton John, so he had to come and sit for at least one song and make fun of the old-timers’ musical taste. He had chuckled at that.

“One, I like Elton John. Two, ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart’ is good. Three, I have been up since five this morning and I’d rather not fall asleep in front of the ‘old-timers’. If it wasn’t for number three, I might have taken you up on the offer.”

Kassandra felt sad watching him head off to his room, somehow wanting the night to never end. But she perked up in an instant when she realized that he was going to be here all week. One whole week with him. And suddenly, the reunion didn’t seem so terrible after all. The opposite in fact. She went into the room, humming the song playing on the stereo, having an appreciation for the British singer for the first time.


	2. ♫ i'm a man without conviction ♫

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _There was something about his mouth and how soft it looked that screamed ‘kiss me’ that she was having a hard time ignoring._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I rewrote this chapter three times over

Kassandra turned out to be not the only person charmed by Brasidas.

That previous night after she had gone off to go take a bath, she had been glad she brought her bullet vibe and felt nearly ashamed afterwards when all she had nearly moaned out his name while white-knuckling the ceramic. She had hoped the next morning after one real good orgasm she’d be somewhat over the effect he had on her. That turned out to be a major nope.

But it had proved to be hard to get him on his own. Her ‘aunts’ seemed charmed by him and once they were done with him at the breakfast table, he had been pulled away by her own father and his own to head into town. He had given her an apologetic smile.

“I was hoping for time to wandering around the area. I saw an olive grove that your grandpa said was okay to explore.”

“The neighbours own it. They're really nice, I use to climb those trees when I was little.” Her inside coiled up at his smile. Somehow today was worse than yesterday. There was something about his mouth and how soft it looked that screamed ‘kiss me’ that she was having a hard time ignoring.

“Well, when I get back you’ll have to give me a V.I.P. tour. I need to know which tree is the best to climb upon.”

She was honest when she said, “I look forward to it”. When he was left, Myrrine had given her a knowing smile.

“Please don’t.” Kassandra had begged with a laugh. She knew what her mother was thinking and really it was funny how well her mom knew her.

“I think he’s handsome.” Myrinne had confessed to her, smiling and wrapping an arm around her waist. She hurriedly added, “Don’t tell your father I said that.”

Kassandra had tried to pass the morning by, but the point of vacation was that there wasn’t supposed to be much to do. Her grandparents had hired service so she couldn’t ask to help with laundry or any clean up without stepping on the toes of people who were actually paid to do it. Her grandfather had shaken off any help she offered with the vineyard, declaring it covered. Eventually, she had settled on the beach where Alexios and Stentor resided. 

That morning, more guests had come and Kassandra was glad to see that they finally had some not-old-people to hang out with, Nikomedes’ children had finally come down. Emilios and Thanassis hadn’t changed much since she had last seen them, closer to Alexios in age and those sort of frat boys who say ‘bro’ and ‘dude’ way too much. The sausage party that was beginning to happen was becoming too much for even Kassandra and she hoped that at least one of her not-guy cousins would come around. The prospect seemed nil.

Still, when she was invited to hope into the water by the four boys, she had gone back up to the villa to change. She had only packed one bikini, muted red with a high waist. For good measure, she had thrown on a sheer robe. Running down barefooted, she took a moment to grab a volleyball from the shed.

When she met with them again, she could not hold a snicker at Alexios gaudy speedo. A black, tight thing that boasted a gold Greek fret at the waist.

“It’s like you want everyone to know you're gay and down to fuck.” She had teased, giving him a hard slap on his ass. He had jumped and sneered at her.

“You're just jealous cause I got a rocking bod that I can work with.”

Snorting at that, she had tossed the ball to Alexios and stripped out of the robe. Giving a quick, but gratuitous flex she shot back. “Please, I got ladies drooling over these guns more than you have twinks trying to compliment your hands.”

“Okay smartass.” He mumbled, giving a small smile. 

They had quickly fallen into a game of water volleyball with Stentor sitting on the beach under the shade of an umbrella. They had all taken time to make fun of him and his dad-like Hawaiin shirt but had scoffed at him.

“The less skin I show the less likely I am to burn.”

“Wow, you’ve gotten more delicate since I’ve last seen you.” Emilios teased which earned him another scoff.

“Skin cancer is a real threat.” And with that, they left him to his shade. He had been kind enough to watch over the Bluetooth speaker but refused to blast anything other than 80’s top forty. He would only turn the music louder if a song was requested. 

They paired off sibling vs. sibling. Alexios had never really been the athlete of the family beyond the swim team in the winter and track in the summer, but after years of being forced to practice with her, his volleyball game wasn’t half bad. They basically were basically paving the dirt with their cousins. They were at 19 - 13 when Kassandra noticed a few bodies coming down the stairs. To her horror—or glee—it was Nikolaos, Tellis and of course, Brasidas. They were all in their swimsuits, Nikolaos being the only one covered up in a t-shirt. Tellis was almost as fit as his son, but really no one could compare to that sight.

Her mouth water as she got a full view of him. He wore a collared shirt completely open, showing off the expanse of his chest. He definitely had muscles to spare and that cursed any shirt that hid those gorgeous pecs. He was surprisingly not as hairy as she would have expected, though his chest had a good amount of dark hair. The trail of hair that led down into the speedo made her guts twist with a pleasurable warmth.

And a speedo. A black speedo. She thank any God that wanted to listen for this gift. 

She was so distracted by the sight, Kassandra was only knocked out of it by a hard volleyball to the face.

“Oh, shit are you okay, dude?” Thanassis cried out. She had shaken it off quickly, though her face hurt, and gave him thumbs up. She heard Stentor losing his shit on the beach and was between being pissed and happy that he finally looked like he was enjoying himself.

“Smooth,” Alexios comment under his breath which earned him a face full of water.

“Are you alright Kassandra?” Her father made his way to her, concern on his face.

“Keeping your eye on the ball is metaphorical!” Brasidas called out, giving a laugh when she scowled at him. She supposed it wouldn’t be okay to yell back ‘it was actually your balls I had my eyes on’.

“How about another game?” Nikolaos suggested, looking over his shoulder to Tellis and Brasidas who still stood on the beach. “Maybe one that doesn’t end in injury.”

“I opt for a game of chicken,” Stentor cried out. It was a game they had played in their childhood with Kassandra always the one on Alexios’ shoulders vs. Stentor on their father’s. It often ended terribly, but they had never learned their lesson.

Nikolaos had sighed at that as the three boys in the water cheered. “Stentor. The point of chicken is hurting.”

“A little water and a bit of yeeting never hurt the soul.”

“What’s yeeting?”

Tellis had stepped in there, obviously amused. “Nick, I think letting these fools wear themselves out might work in our favour.”

They had paired up in teams after that. Thanassis and Emillios, Nikolaos and Alexios, Tellis with Stentor (who had abandoned his shirt), then finally Brasidas with Kassandra. As the game was explained to Tellis who was a little unsure of the rules, Kassandra had only a few moments to come to terms with what was about to happen. Brasidas was in the water now, shirt abandoned too, and he looked even finer with the water glistening off of him. And in a few moments, she’d be resting on those strong shoulders of his. 

“Ready?” Brasidas had asked her once his father had been caught up on the rules. “I’ll sit down and you just hop up. We’re going to destroy them.”

“I didn’t know you were the competitive type.” She teased, feeling her face going red. He gave a smirk, a mischievous look in his eyes.

“I am the oldest of three boys. Can you imagine the competitions we use to have? I really to need beat my father to keep up a reputation.” He looked over his shoulder to the man, who had Stentor now steady on his shoulders. He turned back to her. “I hate bragging, but I am strong. And you look so too. We go in with brute force and overwhelm them. I’ll hold onto you tight.”

How could she have fallen more in love with him? She got him completely; when it came to her siblings, it brought out the most competitive little shit in her. And she could feel it now, that innate desire to win. “Let’s fucking cream them.”

“Hell yeah.” He had turned his back to her then and lowered himself down in the water till half his head was submerged. She made quick work and was soon held steady on his shoulders. He held on tight to her and was shocked to find his hands felt callous. She’d figure a bookish guy like him wouldn’t work with his hands period.

She hated how that revelation sent heat pooling into her gut.

“On the count of three,” Alexios yelled out. There were voices to be heard from behind them, but that didn’t matter now. She was in the moment now. “One… two… Three!”

They all went in at once and cheered when Emilios could not hold against the attack, falling back into the water. It was now the three siblings and they were merciless. Her father, shockingly, played dirty and splashed water right into Tellis’ eyes who had cried out accusingly.

And in that time, Kassandra knocked Stentor over with one real good shove. Once her brother hit the water, Brasidas shifted quickly so they could face off against Alexios. And it became a struggle of the ages. They quickly locked hands, shoving and pulling, trying as hard as they could to unbalance the others. 

“You’re going down.” She had threatened through gritted teeth.

“You take everything so seriously.” He responded in an airy tone. The struggle became short-lived as Alexios, with quick maneuvering was able to topple Kassandra and Brasidas over on one go. It was a dirty move, he had moved his foot to push and unsteady her steed and pushed her as she became unsteady herself. They went crashing into the water with a large splash.

She took a few seconds to reemerge, hair soaking wet and braid coming undone. Brasidas looked as waterlogged but was grinning ear to ear.

“It’s only a bit of water.” He consoled, laughing joyfully. “And dirty dirty cheaters.”

His laughter halted fast and his eyes widened in shock as his eyes had caught sight of something on her. She followed his eyes down and saw with horror that the strap that tied behind her neck had come undone and one breast was nearly exposed.

“Shit!” She ducked down into the water as fast as she could before anyone else could see. She thanked God that Alexios and Nikolaos were still so wrapped up in their victory they hadn’t notice. She looked up to Brasidas as she made quick work fixing herself up. He was a deep red, hand over mouth and completely avoiding her eyes. At least he had the modesty to look away. 

“Sorry.” He mumbled.

“Better you than my dad.” She wasn’t convinced of those words, feeling a mixture of shame and a bit of daring. “I feel like you’d enjoy the sight more than he would.”

Brasidas met her eyes at that, something unreadable in his expression. Almost… hungry. Whatever it was, it passed fast when the voices from before called out to them from the shore. They looked over to see her mother and a new arrival, her aunt Ioulitta. 

“Everyone is all here now!” Myrrine yelled out. “Come get dried and greet them.”

Kassandra could not hurry to shore fast enough.

-

Brasidas had been completely apprehensive about this trip when his mother had called him a week before.

“They’re just going to be people I don’t know.” He had protested, but she had not listened.

“And they're all old friends of mine. Aridolis is busy with his studies and you think I’m going to ask Eryalus to take a flight here to just spend a week vacationing when he’s busy? It would make me look bad if one of you didn’t come.”

His apprehension only got worse when they had met at the ferry station and she schooled him in the names of everyone he’d meet. A week with people he didn’t know, walking on the eggshells that was his mother's fragile approval was the worst idea of a vacation. But it had dropped in a moment when he looked out at the group of people sitting at the table. And more specifically the only young woman. He knew this was Myrrine’s only girl, Kassandra. His mother made sure he knew, and yet he had never imagined such a pretty visage attached to the name.

Pretty wasn’t a strong enough word. She was gorgeous. She looked a lot like her mother, with strong cheekbones and full lips. When their eyes met, green to gold, he felt a shock go down his spine. He had tried his hardest once seated next to her to be as smooth as he could be, but really women weren’t his specialty. Men weren’t either, but that was neither here nor there. He thought he had done a good job, watching as she became looser and more mouthy with him as the night progressed. And he really loved it.

Everything had really been set back in one smooth motion. She was just as gorgeous in her bikini as she had been in the dress the night before, and he had to keep his thoughts as clear as he could with her thighs around his head. Even though his mind kept slipping. She had squeezed her legs as she went off against Alexios, and it had short-circuited his brain. And Alexios had been able to take advantage of it.

And then he got one good look at her after her bikini top had slipped. And he was horrified that his dick stir at that. 

When they had been called into the house, he had made a beeline for the bedroom he was sharing with his parents, and into the shower adjacent. Turning the water as cold as possible, he stood in it till he cooled off completely. Once he had come downstairs, he had found that there were really quite a few new faces.

One thing that he had been really unsure about was the fact that he’d been spending a week with people his parents’ age or older which really wasn’t that appetizing to him. He had always been told he had ‘one of those faces’ where people just seemed to automatically like him and it applied tenfold to this demographic. Within moments he was being introduced to the new women, wives most of the men who had already made it. They had crowed him within a moment, and he had shot a look of ‘help me’ to Myrrine who only smirked into her wine glass. His only saving grace came in the form of Stentor, but by that time Brasidas had felt himself nearly mauled to shreds.

He wanted to feel bad for the poor man when they all cooed over him, going on about how much he had grown and so forth, but really it was amusing to watch the normal severe man turn into a blushing, stuttering mess. Kassandra had been sitting on the couch in the room over, watching over the headrest. She was in some band shirt and shorts, a sight just as pretty as in the bikini. Brasidas had made his way to her, feeling as though she was an island in shark-infested waters. Though he really couldn't meet her eyes

“They do this every time.” Kassandra had sighed as he took a seat next to her, but not so close. “Alexios is avoiding the house until they get a little more wine into them.”

“I never knew middle-aged women to be so bloodthirsty,” He snickered, watch Stentor get his cheek pinched by manicured hands. “The fact your mother is watching without lifting a finger is even more brutal.”

Kassandra chuckled, “We joke that Stentor is a honeytrap for wine moms. Something about his face always ends him up on their receiving end. Mom is probably going to step in soon enough.”

And no sooner than those words were spoken, Myrrine had gotten up and made a comment about what a lovely day it was outside and how there was plenty of wine to drink under the sun. Stentor, in that distraction, had slinked away like a beaten dog. Soon the room was left only to them, and Brasidas felt the weight of what happened earlier sink back onto him. If Kassandra was bothered by it, she made no sign.

He didn’t understand why he was being so affected by her. He barely even knew her. Maybe he was that desperate for attention that the first person who seemed to enjoy his company made him fall head over heels. Though that was a flimsy excuse at best and really insulted the people he kept for company. Either way, his heart fluttered watching her text away on her phone and made him wish he had brought his own down in the process. He could have done something with his hands right about now.

“I told my friend about what happened in the water today,” Kassandra mentioned as she gave one last tap to her phone. “She thought it was hilarious that I not only got hit in the face with a volleyball but I also inadvertently flashed some guy I barely knew not long after.”

She looked him dead in the eyes there, with a small smile appearing on her lips as he began to blush. “Why would you do that.” He nearly sputtered. “I would of-”

“-thought I’d be embarrassed?” Kassandra snorted at that. “You didn’t see my whole tit so I’m fine. Also, I feel like if we let something as dumb as that makes things awkward between us, I should have a lot more in my life to feel ashamed about. Technically it was your fault since you let me fall.”

He blinked in shock. She had been so demure yesterday when they had first talked, he expected that she’d be the modest, shy sort. And yet, here she was smiling it off. The jab at the end was not ignored. “More like you weren’t doing your job. Didn't I say be more aggressive? What did your friend say anyways.”

She muttered what sounded like ‘bastard’ under her breath before speaking up, “She said I need to buy you a drink now. And she asked if you were hot.”

“And?” He really needed to know all of a sudden if she thought he was. Kassandra just gave a shrug.

“I said maybe. You’d like her. Odessa is… something else. I think you two would probably bounce off each other nicely. She’s taking care of my birds right now.”

He laughed, “Are you trying to set me up with your friend?”

“Are you interested?”

He shook his head. He really wasn't interested in anyone other than Kassandra. And that was already a hard thing to wrap his head around. She had given him a smile before going back to her phone. She gave a hefty sigh when opening it up. “Wanna take a selfie?”

“Why?”

Kassandra shook her head, smiling before looking back to him. “She says and I quote “I need to know if he’s thicker than a bowl of oatmeal” and she spelt thicker with two c’s no k.”

“Oh god.” He snickered. “Oh, you are so right. I would love Odessa. I am always down for people to boost my ego. Alright, come here, but make sure you get my good side.”

She moved closer to him and threw her arm quickly around his shoulder. Not counting the water game earlier, this was the first time they had been this close and he could feel his heart hammer away. He gave his best smile and was almost sad when she pulled away once the camera had shuttered. 

“You have Snapchat right?” She asked as she sent the photo through. “This would actually be a good time to get your number and stuff.”

He had rushed upstairs after that, and they took the better part of two hours laughing at each other’s Instagrams and other media. Kassandra had nearly died laughing seeing after quickly finding his LinkedIn and teased him over the school photo he used as the profile picture. He was shocked to see, as he scrolled through her Instagram, she was one of those people who posted their gym adventures though it made sense considering she worked at one. They weren’t those sort of “haha look at me holding a water bottle look how thick my ass is” but obviously taken by someone else as she did her routine. Which had to be the hottest thing he’d ever seen. In between, there were photos of her out with her friends, sights around the city, and even photos of the birds she had mentioned before. It was an interesting insight into her life, even if it was a highly curated one.

Alexios had come in after some time, asking for some company down to the town. The look Kassandra gave told him he had to come along. 

The town was grand, but it was much more than he expected. Alexios had explained to him that it was because the island attracted plenty of tourists due to ruins and rental villas along the shores.

“Lot’s of rich assholes.” He explained, pointing to a few people in the street. “It’s always Americans or the French. We have a somewhat proper nightlife here, though most people go back to the mainland if they want to go to something like a drag show.”

“We’ll have to take you out drinking some night,” Kassandra added. “They’ve got a proper bar here, and they play decent music. The beer is half drinkable too.”

After quickly hitting one of the stores and picking up some liquor (“Stentor and I got into an argument the other night about what to get so we came back empty-handed. That’s why I needed you.”) they wandered about the place. The buildings were typical for tourist towns, that sort of classic white and blue Greek aesthetic, and there were plenty of small stores lining the main street of the downtown. It was a proper little place. He noticed several bars, with Kassandra pointing one out to be the best one, aptly named Bacchus. He was shocked to even see a Chinese restaurant, though he doubted it was authentic.

They had eventually settled at a shoreside restaurant. The outdoor patio was right on the water, and the tables were shaded by thatched umbrellas. It had a sort of atmosphere to it that just felt like the world had stopped. That nothing existed out of this moment, with its decent food and commonplace beer. Ducks had wandered through at one point and Kassandra had punched Alexios for trying to feed them bread (“It’s bad for them”) when someone walked up to the table.

This man was dressed like some sort of hipster tryhard; jeans rolled up the ankles, a tacky sort of shirt with the buttons popped open enough to show off his waxed chest, round orange-tinted sunglasses and a bucket hat that was probably bought for more than it was worth. He looked gaudy, but also wore it well enough. He was almost envious to see someone so effortless pull of an aesthetic that looked like it belonged to someone's dad. On top of that, he gave a complete air of a pretty party boy from the beach-curled blonde waves to the cocky smile on his face. And he was apparently known to the siblings.

“Allie!” Alexios greeted him, sitting up from his seat fast. “Long time no see!”

This ‘Allie’ flashed his teeth at Alexios, white and perfectly straight. Kassandra was quick to greet him as well. “My God, you look like twink trying to dress like a middle-aged man whose wife just divorced him for an accountant.”

“Very descriptive and very hurtful Kassie.” He placed a hand over his heart, feigning a dramatic, hurt expression. He was invited to sit down. The second he was seated, he pulled his sunglasses off and took one good look at him. Under his gaze, Brasidas almost felt naked. And not in a good way.

“This is Alkibiades,” Alexios said, waving to the man. “He’s a local, a friend and real fun guy to party with.”

“See, Kassandra, that’s how you compliment someone,” Alkibiades said with a wink. His attention then turned back to him. “So, who is this delicious piece of something in khaki shorts?”

“This something is named Brasidas.” He responded cooly. He didn’t really know why but this new face was just giving him all the wrong vibes. 

“Oh, feisty. I like my men with a bit of fight in them.” Alkibiades flashed him a smile, which he returned tight-lipped. Kassandra caught his eye after that, obviously amused. Alexios had drawn him quickly into a conversation, catching up since they had last seen each other. He got a good picture of who this Alkibiades was by the conversation and how he answered. A cocky, partier who spent most of his summers flirting with anything that caught his eye. And Brasidas found himself liking him less and less the more he listened.

“Tomorrow,” The blond began. “There’s going to be a whole thing at Club Kleos. An actual proper show with yours truly starring."

“Nice,” Alexios added in.

“And since you two are such wonderful friends and maybe some booze will make your friend here more receptive, I can get you in without the door price.”

There were cheers at that, and a wink from Alkibiades which he turned away from. He gave them the information they needed and wished them quick goodbyes, which was apparently due to the fact that the owner’s son had spotted him. He was quickly informed that Alkibiades was banned from three separate places in the area after he had set up an elaborate scheme to destroy a relationship to get back at someone which had involved goats, some not-so-tasteful nudes and a keyboard. Brasidas didn’t want to ask how all those things came together.

It was at that point they decided to head back to the vineyard. When they had made it back to where Alexios had parked the car, Kassandra had suggested that he walk back with her.

“There are some ruins up the road.” She had explained. “Well, they're more off the road and on a nature path. We can go through it and cut through a field to get back. It’s barely a thirty-minute adventure.”

“Kassandra, I am a history teacher and I live in Sparta. Old ruins aren't new and exciting things for me.” He had teased. In honesty, despite being Greek and being literally surrounded by it in his everyday life, the thought of checking out some nondescript ruins was fun.

Alexios had spoken up then, as he popped the car door open. “It’s actually nice and pretty devoid of tourists. Make up your mind now before I drive off.”

He had ended up taking up the offer. They watched as Alexios drove away, who had on passing them flashed them the middle finger which Kassandra returned quickly. 

They walked down the road that led out to the vineyard, till they were out of the town and into the country. They had passed by what looked like an orchard with flowers for sale by the entrance when Kassandra had pushed them off the side of the road and onto a dirt path. There had been idle chitchat, but up until that point, he hadn’t really asked about where they were going.

“It’s the remnants of an old hamlet,” she had explained. “It’s only rubble at this point, but you get a great view of the ocean from it. And it feels like something you’d like.

He felt flattered by that. “You must have spent a lot of time out here to know such little spots.”

The path intertwined through some heavy brush, the path near on invisible. He tried pushing the branches out of her way as best as possible, but she had swatted his hand away. “For the most part. We normally spent a month out here at the beginning of the summer when I was younger. Mom and dad always went on a trip somewhere during that time. They let me wander about the island pretty unsupervised.”

He couldn’t imagine his own parents or grandparents doing that. He was sometimes surprised by the contrast in their upbringings in just the couple of times it had been brought up. “My mother would have had an aneurysm if I was allowed to do something like that. Once I went over to a friend’s house without asking permission and I got grounded for a week. And I was seventeen.”

She laughed at that, which was the desired effect. He wouldn’t have been able to stand pity. “No offence but Argileonis has that vibe. She seems like the overbearing, controlling type.”

“You have no idea.” He had a billion stories he could tell her, but most were really pathetic and not a way he wanted to paint himself in her eyes. “I like your mother. If I had known you when I was younger, she probably would have been the cool mom that made want to come to your house often.”

“She probably would of let you swear at our house too.”

“Oh, extra cool. I’ll ask my mom for permission if I can have a sleepover or something.”

He would never tire of hearing her laugh. It always seemed to burst out of her, like an unexpected thing, so filled with joy. It had been why he had tried so hard since the first time he had gotten it out of her to make her laugh.

They had made it out of the brush in the few moments and Brasidas found himself marvelling. She was right, the view of the ocean was more than great. The ruins itself was typical for what one would expect from an unkept site, but he still found himself wandering around it with delight. He couldn't help himself from getting lost in a daydream, as he treaded about with care of the lives that might have once been lived here. He could imagine a pottery merchant here or maybe a bakery there. The streets would most likely be filled with the sounds of musicians as the music was so important to even daily life then. He almost wanted to have lived then, to see what this place would have been like in its mundane glory. Knowing his luck he would have ended up dying if he lived then. Probably in a battle or from some sort of now curable disease.

He eventually snapped out of it, looking back to where Kassandra stood, surprised to see the dreamy look on her face. When she seemed to realize he was looking at her, she gave a bashful smile. It was something he couldn't help but smile at, the whole thing reminiscent of the previous night.

“This is amazing.” He had told her, as earnest as possible.

“You're hyping it up too much.” She teased.

He flashed her a smile, making his way back to her. “No, you really don't understand. This is the fastest way to my heart. Taking me to off the road pile of stones? I really do like stuff like this.”

“I figure. History teacher and all.” 

“I’ll get you back, Kassandra. Take to… what a gym or something? I’ll take you to the Sanctuary of Olympia. Or maybe just a gym.”

She smiled at that, “I’m an easier girl to please. You could take me out anywhere and I’d be happy.”

There was something that had to be said. Brasidas, while he hadn’t dated in some time, had asked people out for way less than what he had with Kassandra. Someone who had caught his eye at a bar, or maybe a Tinder date. There was really no excuse for Brasidas to not go ‘hey look I really like you and I have fun talking to you. Do you want to go on a date’ except there was something holding him back? It was that thing that needed to be said, but he couldn’t. 

“You know,” She broke the silence. “I’ve been meaning to tell you-”

His heart missed a beat.

“You can just call me Kass. All my friends do. And I think we are well passed that point.”

He was sure for most people being described as a friend would have turned an optimist into a pessimist. But in the look her in her eyes, and the shadow of a smile on her lips, he felt like it was the highest honour he could be given.

“Would you mind if I still called you Kassandra? I think it’s really pretty. I mean I think I should be allowed to, considering I’ve basically seen your boobs and we are friends.”

It took her a moment before she gave a small laugh, blush settling on her cheeks.

“Of course, you ass. You're the insufferable type aren't you?”

“Utterly.”

-

  
Kassandra had spent that night scrolling through the new photos that now laid in her gallery. Most had made it to Instagram in some way or another, but she had laid off posting any that she had been able to grab of Brasidas. There had been the one taken on the couch (which when sent to Odessa she had responded only with eye emojis) and others taken throughout the day. 

There had been one at the restaurant, where he had had been leaning onto the arm propped up on the table, making a face at her. It had been when they had first gotten their beers before Alkibiades had come by and obviously dampened his mood. She had wanted to laugh so badly at that, knowing full well Alkibiades had that effect on certain people. She remembered how Brasidas had snickered when she had shown him the photo, calling it his finest.

“Are you still up?” Alexios asked in a whisper, obviously showered. Stentor was asleep in one of the three single beds, snoring softly. 

“Just checking my emails before bed.”

“Not with that smile on your face.”

It almost felt childish to tell Alexios the real reason was she found herself crushing after a man she barely had known for twenty-four hours. She was sure Alexios wouldn’t judge, if there was anyone out there that was worse with their love life than her, it was Alexios. And she couldn't help but remember his love story with Lykaon had begun after a chance meeting and they had spent less time than she had with Brasidas when they had apparently made out in the backseat of his car.

“I like him more than I ever like Thaletas.” Alexios said with a prompt. She shot him a look, but he seemed busy putting away his dirty clothes. “If that counts for anything.”

“Hard to say.” Was all she could respond back with, feeling bashful.

“Also I got a call from Lykaon. He was able to get the rest of the week off. He’ll be here by dinner tomorrow.”

She had expressed her happiness, but when Stentor seemed to stir from his sleep, all conversation had ceased. She had waited till Alexios had been all tucked up into his covers and snoring away for her to bring the phone back out, covertly hiding it under her covers.

She wondered if it came on too strong if she had included that ‘finest’ photo among the multiple she wanted to post on Instagram. Kassandra did so anyways, tagging him for good measure.

Under the covers still, she had watched as likes and comments came in, taking the time to like or respond to them, not feeling quite tired. She only put her phone away when one more came in, which made her snort. A simple ‘thanks but go to bed’ from Brasidas which she had responded back quickly with a ‘look who’s talking’.

She wanted to shove her face into her pillow and squeal but refrained knowing full well Alexios would kill her for waking him up. But Kassandra fell asleep much like she had yesterday, completely surprised by how easy it was to fall for someone. And now she could put more thought into what exactly made her feel that way. From the way, he seemed to always smile as though it was something he couldn't contain or the quick way he had explained his area of study at dinner with an enthralling passion. Or simply how he liked to just call her Kassandra.

It was too much for her heart to bear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick note, I purposefully haven't named an Island that they're on. My closest experience was watching Mamma Mia when it came out in theatres 12 years ago, I don't trust myself to actually write anything good if I try to go super into detail.


	3. ♫ i wanna feel the heat with somebody ♫

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _It was wonderful seeing her so full of life, smiling and laughing like there was not a care in the world. And every time she’d look at him, her eyes crinkled up from her smile and light dancing in them, he could feel his heart swell and Brasidas couldn’t help but smile back with equal vigour._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to apologize for the huge delay on this. Working in a grocery store meant I was labelled as an essential worker and by the time I had some free time, other projects drew my attention away. I am back though and finishing up the last few chapters. Thanks to everyone who's been waiting so patiently.

When she had been a little girl, Kassandra had desperately wanted to be a farmer just like her grandpa. Leonidas, who had always been sweet on his only granddaughter, had allowed her to shadow him and she had over the course of one summer gotten a good idea of how wine was made. She couldn’t recall much of it now. That summer had also been the year Stentor had first joined their family and they had spent most of the summer bonding over the competitions they’d make. Mainly, tree climbing. She had learned how to scale up the twisting branches of the olive tree in the grove next door, and that, unlike the wine-making, stuck with her. 

Brasidas had seemed impressed by this skill, letting out one low whistle as she climbed up onto one of the thicker branches.

“You’re like a spider monkey.” He noted, with his ever-present smile. “I feel like I’m about to make a fool out of myself.”

“You’ll never know if you don’t try.”

They had spent most of the day like the one before; a mixture of swimming, lounging and chatting all with the anticipation of a show later that night. She laughed, watching him clamber up with the grace of a drunk. Once situated well on the branch, a little out of breath, he had picked up a conversation that had been dropped earlier due to prying ears.

“So, what exactly does Alkibiades do at these parties? DJs?” 

She snorted, the image of Allie doing such a thing amusing to her. “Remember yesterday how Alexios mentioned how the nightlife here was good, but if you wanted to go see a drag show you had to go to the mainland?”

“Yes.”

“That’s how we know Allie.”

Brasidas gave a soft laugh. “Ah, of course. He seems like the type.”

It had been a memorable first meeting, involving two goats and one really drunken night. They had ended up bonding when the trio had learnt they all had family on the same island and spent summers there. 

“His mother runs a salon in town and his father lives Acharnes, one of the suburbs in Athens. He comes here every single summer to help his mother out. So, I see him a lot throughout the year.”

“But you don’t come here every summer,” Brasidas asked.

“No.”

“Why?”

A good question. “Life, I suppose.”

He nodded, somewhat satisfied with the answer. “A simple answer but also complicated.”

There was no denying that. “You are insufferable.”

“So you’ve told me.” He said with a laugh. “I understand though. How does your family feel about it then?”

She eyed him up, somewhat amused by these sudden questions. “I’m not sure. I call them often enough. When did you suddenly become my therapist?”

He threw up his arms, looking apologetic. “Sorry, I just wanted to know more about you. Maybe I’ll go a little more cliche. Coke or Pepsi?”

“Pepsi.”

“Oh, this isn’t going to work at all.” 

They laughed, with Kassandra losing balance on the branch for only a moment. Brasidas had reached out, grabbing her arm in an attempt to stable her. The grip on her arm was strong, almost bruising and made it blush when she got over the pain. Pain which she had hissed out at. He had been getting ready to apologize when a voice carried out over the grove.

“Over a decade of this nonsense, and you still haven't learned to get out of my trees?!”

Kassandra and Brasidas whipped their heads around to the source of the voice. The woman who came running out at them was dressed in what could only be described as “farmer-girl chic”. A calico wrap dress that looked vintage, but definitely wasn’t vintage. Way too fashionable for her work, which hadn’t changed since the last time Kassandra had seen her.

“Anthousa!” Kassandra yelled out, jumping down from the branch. “Long time no see!”

“Not long enough.” Anthousa had said, pulling her into a hug now the second she was in range. Her anger at the climbing was obviously superficial. As they pulled out of the tight hug, she heard a soft thud behind her, signalling that Brasidas had come down as well. “Ah, who is this?”

Brasidas was bashful as Kassandra introduced him, explaining who he was which seemed to interest Anthousa greatly.

“I think the last time I saw your mother, she was younger than you are now.” She said, giving him a good look over. “You look a fair bit like her actually.”

“I’ll pass the compliment on.” 

She seemed happy with that, giving a pleased little nod. “Well, since you two seem to have an interest in my trees, come by for some lunch to have the fruit of their labour. It’s only something light.”

Following Anthousa back to her home, she had filled Kassandra in on the gossip she had missed in the two years since she had last been back. Things about one local shopkeep or the daughter of someone other. Little things that Kassandra wouldn’t expect anyone else to know except Anthousa. It was with that Kassandra teased her that she would have made an excellent spy.

“We all have our talents,” Anthousa said with a laugh as they entered in the little home. And within it, memories of summers gone came flooding back. Myrinne had been friends with Anthousa in her youth, and they had gone over so many times for some lunch or for some wine when she had gotten a little older. 

The memories weren’t the only thing that hit her. No sooner than she stepped into the house, she was nearly knocked back by the force of a little body slamming right into her, wrapping its arms around her waist.

“Kassandra!” cried out a little voice, ecstatic and sweet.

“Phoibe!” Kassandra could not hide how happy she was to see her. “You’ve grown so much.”

“Look at all the teeth I’ve lost.” Phoibe flashed her a huge smile, showing gaps in her mouth and also some grownup teeth as well. “Anthousa says it’s cause I keep running into walls.”

“And I am not wrong.” Anthousa laughed. “Wash your hands dear, and you two as well. We have so much catching up to do.”

Brasidas had been quiet through most of lunch, which had been one of the tastiest spanakopita she’d had in a while, and seemed content to let the others hold up the conversation. Anthousa had always been a clever talker and was quick to try and rope him into the conversation, which he had been just as quick to leave it without coming off as rude. It was quite a trick.

Phoibe had been so excited to tell her about everything she could and it had made Kassandra realize just how much she’d miss her. As she had told Brasidas before, she had called her grandparents in the time she had been gone and considering Anthousa’s proximity to them she had been over at the house many times when she had phoned in. And Phoibe had always tried to talk her ear off then.

Eventually, they had to go. Kassandra hadn’t realized how long they had been there till her cell had gone off. She had only turned it onto sound at her mother’s request and saw Myrinne’s name pop up. With hurried goodbyes and leftovers given with some aggressive assistance, they were back off towards the vineyard. And now with Kassandra being the nosy one.

“Why didn’t you want to talk?” She drilled him with faux intensity. “Did you not like them?”

“I liked her plenty enough.” He assured her. “It didn’t feel like my place to really intrude. And I like listening to you talk.”

“Oh.” Was all she could say, blushing. They were on the edge of the properties now. A fine divide of cyprus trees that gave some privacy. 

“Loss of words now?” Brasidas teased with a grin. She was still so charmed by the crooked front tooth. And his lips. Which remained so kissable and soft. And he seemed to notice the intensity to which she stared at his mouth as the grin fell down into just a soft smile. And the look he gave her could melt even the coldest of hearts. So it obviously wrecked her.

They were close together, having walked nearly shoulder to shoulder, and unconsciously they leaned towards each other. Faces getting close. Then the shrill of her phone.

“I’m sorry.” She muttered, taking her phone out to see Myrrine’s name flashing once more. Swiping to answer, Kassandra placed it to her ear whilst trying to avoid his gaze. She listened with half interest as her mother asked her to come back. After a moment, her eyes flickered up to Brasidas who watched her with some amusement. Pressing end on the call once her mother was done, Brasidas was still smirking.

“Do you have something to say?”

“Nothing.” That smirk turned back into a grin. “Just that the look on your face was very reminiscent of some of my own calls with my mother.”

Snorting, she walked through the cyprus and in the burnt grass surrounding the acres of grapevines. “I don’t understand your relationship with your mother at all. You know, I was always told a man who hates his mother is a red flag.”

“I don’t hate her.” His face scrunched up. “It’s complicated.”

“Well, can I hear? I told you about my pop preference earlier so you better share your deep-seated childhood issues now.”

He gave a bellowing laugh at that, though once it subsided, he seemed hesitant. “I’m just not her favourite is all. She plays favourites and I never met the cut.”

That had been obvious in the past few days. Anytime Argileonis talked to Brasidas, there was a sense of talking down and general disapproval. He had always seemed to go quiet whenever she was around, overly cautious of how he presented himself to the others. It wasn't an easy thing to watch him and she had noticed herself that even on his own he seemed so controlled over his own actions, like he was constantly trying to impress.

“I told you before I left home to get away from them. It was more of my mother. She’s one of those parents that have high expectations for her children and I refused to fit into what she wanted. I guess she was expecting me to pick up my father’s law business and do something real respectable.” He laughed at that, almost bitter. “She refused to speak to me for a year after I took that job in Sparta. A history major was bad enough, but a teacher? Despicable.”

There wasn’t really anything Kassandra could say. How does anyone respond to something like that? Brasidas was quick to apologize for oversharing, but she cut him off.

“We can’t all have easy family lives. I find myself blessed that I’ve been relatively good with my family. I told you I dropped out of my classes right.”

“Yeah.”

“My father did the same as your mother did. He was furious. We stopped talking for a while and it took us a bit before we could be in the same room together.”

They both paused once more, staring at each other with a level of understanding. She had known he wasn’t without flaw, but it was nice to know mister perfect wasn’t completely so. And that she could relate to it.

“Well,” Brasidas started. “I know your preference in drink and your daddy issues. I think we have to be the best of friends by now.”

“You don’t know what my favourite season is or my crime of choice. It’s summer and arson by the way.”

“Do I even want to know?”

She gestured to keep walking along. “Of course you do. We need to be besties by tonight.”

“Does it involve Alkibiades?”

She laughed at that, feeling warm. “Oh see you’re already close to best friend status. You know me too well.”

  
\---

  
They had learned fast the reason they got brought back to the house was due to the last arrival. Alexios had excitedly shown him off the second Brasidas had taken his shoes off but to Kassandra’s chagrin. 

“We get it Alexios, you're in love.” She had said with a sign which had earned a rude gesture. The new arrival was Lykaon. He was a pretty man, with a prominent beauty mark and kind eyes. He had offered a hand out to Brasidas, apologizing for anything Alexios might have done. When he had assured Alexios had been on his best behaviour, Lykaon had rolled his eyes dramatically saying that sounded impossible.

“Kassandra and Alexios are like an oil fire together,” Lykaon told him. “Just wait.”

“Oh, that's the real reason you took forever to come, huh.” Kassandra teased, poking him a bit with her elbow. “Guess you don’t want to come out tonight?”

“Oh miss me with that.” Lykaon shoved her back, making Kassandra laugh. “I would never miss an opportunity to get drunk with you.”

It was now close to the time they were expected to leave, and despite himself, Brasidas felt excited. He knew he came off as the bookish academic type who probably spent his nights in with a cup of tea and some old tome, but really this was his sort of thing. He has always jumped at the opportunity to go out if Lysander, an old friend, would shoot him a text.

He had taken great pains to dress as nicely as he could without looking like a try-hard; a button-down with plaid dress pants, rather in the hopes of catching Kassandra’s eye than the simple goal of looking good. Though, looking in the full-length mirror in the shared bedroom he couldn’t help but notice he really did look good. It was how his father had walked in to catch him sort of admiring the way the pants clung to his ass, making it look better than usual.

“I thought Ari was supposed to be the vain once.” His father commented, deadpan. He jumped, not realizing the intrusion. 

“I’m well-” He sputtered, embarrassed, but his father laughed, cutting him off.

“What are the plans tonight then.” He asked, moving towards the open suitcase. Brasidas watched as his father pulled out his MacBook, knowing just by that his father’s plans for the evening were work. 

“Kassandra and Alexios have a friend in town. They invited me out to go to a drag show and clubbing.”

“And you're going in that.” His father gestured to the length of him. “My god you are not subtle are you.

“Pardon?”

Tellis just shook his head and made his way over to his son. He placed his free hand onto his shoulder. “All the actual adults are placing bets on when you or Kassandra are going to make a move.”

His brain went blank at that. Stupidly, he had forgotten that there were other people, with working eyes, who could have probably seen how they danced around each other. In his silence, Tellis continued on.

“I don’t know if you realize, but she’s pretty interested in you too. According to Myrrine. You should see the way she looks at you. If you're not subtle then she's a flashing neon sign”

That was enough to fry his already overloaded brain. He had really been stupid, hadn’t he? Thinking this entire time that any sort of sign he had gotten had been a coincidence when it hadn’t. In a span of seconds, he thought back to every encounter that had made his heart leap and suddenly things felt different. And in those seconds, Tellis had shaken him.

“Hello?”

Blinking, he looked to his father. “Sorry. I… are you sure?”

His father snorted. “My god, you're a dense one aren't you?”

“I get that from you.”

His father just sighed, taking his hand away to pinch the bridge of his nose. “Look, just be safe tonight and for the love of God do something. As funny as it was in the beginning, it’s almost painful watching you pine after her.”

He was left just standing there, confounded by what just happened and it took him a solid few minutes to remember he had to be downstairs. After quickly checking the mirror one more time to make sure his appearance was all in order, he went bounding out of the room and down the stairs. Alexios and Lykaon already dressed and ready to go. Brasidas almost asked where Kassandra was, but she stepped out from the living room just at that exact moment and he felt his heart leap into his throat, almost choking him.

The last few days, she seemed to favour jean shorts over skirts so seeing her in one made his brain short circuit for the second time in the last 10 minutes. She made no conscious effort to hide any bit of her toned body, it was the most feminine thing he had ever seen her since the first night. A loose tank top tucked into a midthigh length skirt. Arms and thighs. There was no hiding how his mouth dropped open or how hungrily he took in the sight before him. Kassandra had laughed at him, which he couldn't blame her for.

“Are you trying to catch flies?” 

“Just… amazed.” 

Kassandra smiled at that, her eyes bright. Before he could compliment her further, Alexios coughed loudly, lifting an eyebrow when he caught their attention. “So are we just going to stare at everyone or can we go now?”

They all loaded into the car, Kassandra and Brasidas sharing the backseat. It was pure entertainment watching Lykaon and Alexios interact in the front, as they argued playfully over song choice or Lykaon getting anxious over Alexios taking his hands off the wheel briefly to dance. But really, he had a hard time focusing on them with Kassandra so close. She had leaned in at one point, giving Alexios shit for his choice of music, and he had gotten a noseful of the smell of her shampoo. He had the urge to just bury his face in it, taking in every bit of her, and it left Brasidas’ mouth dry.

She had a thing for him. That’s all that could run through his head every time he looked at her. Kassandra was just as interested in him as he was in her. All it came down to was making a move. But when? And how? Uncertainty had driven him nearly crazy before and now that he was certain in what he had to do, he found himself still being driven crazy. It was almost worse now.

“Do you think we should have asked Stentor to come along?” Lykaon asked as Alexios parked the car. Club Kleos was in sight, a more modern building with a lineup outside. “I feel bad for leaving him behind.”

“This sort of thing isn’t his scene,” Kassandra responded, undoing her seatbelt. “And I asked him already. Told me he’s spending the night with Netflix.”

As Alkibiades promised, they made it past the bouncer with no door price and entered into the establishment. The building itself was fairly small but then opened into a covered terrace that was lit by things that looked like fairy-lights interwoven among the trellis. It definitely wasn’t a traditional club in the slightest. The ones he had gone to in the past had been dark and illuminated by neon lights, but this felt like a place that probably worked as a proper bar during the day. It probably was just a club in name rather than function, but really who cared?

The terrace had a stage set up in the middle; a walkway he eventually realized. Brasidas had never been to a drag show before, and his only experience with them were gifs of Rupaul’s. There were tables set up around the stage, with a booth that he was sure for the DJ. 

“So let me guess,” Brasidas said, staring at the surrounding tables and chairs. “We sit down and let the ladies do their thing?”

“Tip your local drag queens,” Alexios said in a sing-song voice, taking a seat at one of the closest tables. He pulled out his wallet, a beat-up old thing, and took out several euro notes. He saw one yellow one pulled out, which made everyone at the table raise their eyebrows, to which Alexios grinned. “For Allie.”

Lykaon had been kind enough to get them all drinks, and Brasidas had taken that intermission as a time to really take in the place. Most folks seemed to be in their twenties, some obvious tourists yammering away in either English or some other language he could only really understand a word or two of. Some of the queens were in the crowd as well, interacting and playing with the audience. He recognized Alkibiades quickly enough, though he was near unrecognizable. Wearing a massive blonde wig and an off the shoulder deep purple dress, he looked like some sort of goddess. Alkibiades caught Brasidas staring and gave him one big wink which brought back that feeling of disgust. The man really had a way of making him feel on edge.

He also took it as a moment to really take in Kassandra who was really feeding off the energy in the room. She laughed and teased Alexios, playfully bumping Brasidas every so often, and chatting with the other table next to them (a pair of Frenchmen who spoke very poor Greek but were eager to try). It was wonderful seeing her so full of life, smiling and laughing like there was not a care in the world. And every time she’d look at him, her eyes crinkled up from her smile and light dancing in them, he could feel his heart swell and Brasidas couldn’t help but smile back with equal vigour.

Eventually, the lights around them dimmed. There must have been some sort of colour setting to the fairy lights, as they all shifted to different cool hues, till they were bathed in blues and purples.

Kassandra had leaned into him as the host came up onto the stage, their outfit a gaudy 80’s dress that had been altered with some obvious modern twist (which honestly looked fantastic and Brasidas found himself really appreciating the craftsmanship). “Are you enjoying yourself so far?”

“Of course,” and he was being honest. He was having fun so far even if nothing happened yet. 

“Just wait then, you're going to enjoy yourself more,” Kassandra said, giving him a wink. A simple thing that made him hunger. He wanted to lean forward and capture her in a kiss and devour her. And it must have shown on her face as she looked back with the same sort of hunger. 

They could not be lost in each other for long, not in a loud setting like this one. Their attention was turned back to the stage as the first queen came out and music started to play. He picked up really fast that the theme was a sort of glamorous 80’s sort of thing. Most of the music that the queens lip-synched to were 80’s ballads while dressed in takes on that classic fashion era. ‘Tell It To My Heart’ played which made Brasidas holler as he recognized the song. The crowd seemed just as into the performances put on, crying out encouragement or just cheering with each act. His own reaction had made Alexios press a 50 euro note into his hand and point to the stage. Brasidas had held out the bill, imitating the others who had done before him. 

The queen (he felt guilty for not remembering her name), caught his eye and grinned as she continued to lip-synch, strutting her way over to him. A sweet caress to his face, her hand then moving to his own, caressing yet again up his hand and then to the bill. With a wink, she took the bill and mouthed thanks as the chorus ended. She had left Brasidas feeling giddy, which had earned him a well-meaning punch from Alexios and Kassandra’s laughter in his ear.

A few more acts happened before the main reason they had come. It wasn’t just high energy lip syncs, but a comedy act between two queens and one sad ballad. Even the acts that were just lip-synching weren’t all the same. Some goofier than others, some power songs, and some duets. Between each act, the host would come back up, playing with the crowd and hyping up the next act. Or making fun of the next queen, obviously in good nature. It was a genuinely good time.

Eventually, the next queen was introduced. A Miss 'Tierian Purple'. He had made a comment about ‘Tyrian’ being spelt wrong as Kassandra had leaned back into him, then telling him that was Alkibiades. Alexios had gotten his 200 euro bill ready as the light colour changed once more.

Alkibiades had strutted onto the stage, in shades of purple and gold looking even more amazing under the lights. Donna Summer’s ‘Hot Stuff’ was the song he had chosen, dancing in time to the music and acting out the lyrics with a sort of elegance. They had locked eyes like before, but now in an amazing mood, Brasidas had winked at him, which had caused Alkibiades to smile in shock.

Alexios had held up the yellow bill, waving it around in time to the beat. Alkibiades had more fun with Alexios than the other queens had with the crowd. Probably cause he knew the man and that he had consent to really play. There were wolf whistles as he put his heel foot over Alexios’ shoulder and onto the head of the chair. After he had taken the bill and was back on the stage proper, he swept his skirt hard enough to get it to brush Alexios in the face, which had made him laugh out loud.

Eventually, the show was over, and a quick check to his phone showed that it was midnight. The queens had all made their round on the stage as a final encore and Brasidas almost felt sad that it was done.

After that though, drinks were served in earnest, and the crowd dispersed to chat, dance to the music still playing or meet with the queens who had come out. They had fallen into the latter, making their way up to Miss Purple. Alkibiades had waved them over, and closer he noticed the man was covered in glitter over the full makeup face he had on.

“I’m so glad you all came,” He said, a little out of breath. “My mom actually showed up too. She thought it was hilarious you gave me so much money.”

Alexios blushed. “Tip your local drag queens.”

“Let me get you guys some drinks. And dance. Have fun. You only get to be young and stupid once, right?”

They had taken him up on that. With a few drinks in them, and the stage having been moved out of the way (which Kassandra and Brasidas had watched with stupid commentary) they had taken to the dance floor, 80’s songs still playing on the speaker. With enough liquor in him and the growing courage that had been planted in him by his father earlier, Brasidas had asked Kassandra out onto the floor as a ballad started to play.

“Please dance with me,” He asked, holding out a hand. She finished the last of her drink and took his hand eagerly. He could feel himself sweat as they made out onto the floor, having not felt this nervous dancing with a girl since he was a teen.

The song, ‘You To Me Are Everything’, was slow enough that they could slow dance like other couples seemed to be doing. She had pulled her arms over his shoulder and linked her hands behind his neck, pulling him in close in the process. He felt shaky as he put his hands onto her hips, letting them wander as they got more into it.

“It was good to see you so loose,” Kassandra said, blush on her cheeks. “Not that you’re very rigid, it’s just it feels like you are always so aware of how you act. It was good to see you not care.”

“You have that effect on me,” He smiled. “I really have had so much fun. Not even tonight, but in general. You’re… Wow.”

She snickered at that, “No words? You must have drunk a lot.”

Kassandra wasn’t far off at all, he could feel that oh so pleasant buzz. And yet he felt so aware. His thoughts weren’t so muddled with alcohol as it was more cause he didn’t know how to really speak with her now. Not now that he wanted so badly to confess himself.

“It’s not the drink.” He corrected her, leaning in a bit more. He was definitely feeling bold now. “Not the drink at all.”

She gasped as he pressed more into him, a sweet sound that went both to his head and groin. “Is that so?”

He hummed. “Tell me Kassandra-”

“Yes?”

“How much longer are we going to do this to each other?” It felt like the right moment. Them so close, charged by the high energy night, the proximity of their bodies, the urging feeling in his gut. She had to know what those words meant if his father had spoken any truth. If her actions had meant anything.

It had been little over 72 hours since they had met, and it had been 72 antagonizing hours as he felt himself pine after her. And it had been 72 well spent hours. All of them coming together for this one moment. The music meant nothing, just background noise along with the chatter. He couldn’t care about the eyes on them, or the comments Alexios and Lykaon would be making. All that mattered was Kassandra as she used the hands behind his neck to press his head down to close the gap and seal his lips in a kiss.

Romance novels had always told him that this exact moment was supposed to be the hottest, most intense thing he’d experience. That this kiss was supposed to overwhelm him with pure unadulterated lust, and that they would have to go to the nearest closet to fuck as though their lives depended on it. But in reality, it was just relief. Kassandra was a good kisser, moving her lips just enough to keep him hungry, but not enough that they were disgusting in their PDA. 

They broke apart after barely anytime, and that desire he had been expecting now setting in as he opened his eyes to see Kassandra with her still half-closed, a dreamy sort of look on her face mixed with a blush.

“My God, you’re beautiful,” He whispered. 

She hummed, and moved closer to him, pressing her face into his neck. They were barely dancing now, and the song was coming to an end. That relief he had felt before now swelled into happiness. Kassandra eventually pulled away from his neck, bringing her hands down to rest on his chest. She looked up at him with a sort of want, something that he couldn’t name at first, but he realized full well enough that it was the exact same want he had.

Though he wasn’t so sure if it was an ‘I want to kiss you more’ sort of want or a ‘please let me eat you out until you see stars’ want. But he supposed he’d find out soon enough.

“Want to go wait in the car?” She offered, eyes burning. As she bit her lip, he realized that she was definitely falling into the latter category of want. And as he felt his cock shift at the sight of her, he found himself in the same boat.

“God yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter, the rating goes up ;)


	4. ♫ won't be a day too late ♫

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _When they shared a look, she was amused to find that hunger still in his eyes and the obvious bulge in his pants. She almost laughed at how he crossed his legs as Alexios hopped in._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning, here be the porn

All she could really focus on was his hands on her hips, gripping and kneading in time to their kissing. Kassandra had spent the last few days obsessing over how soft his mouth looked and was more than delighted to find out her imagination hadn’t been far off. His beard, despite how short it was cut, was rough against her skin, prickling her every so often, but not to the point of annoyance. It had actually been something she had been curious about in her fantasies and found it didn't take away much from her experience. He had broken the kiss at one point to kiss the expanse of her neck, sucking ever so slightly where her pulse laid. 

The space in the backseat of the car really didn’t give them a lot of room. Her legs cramped at how she had them positioned and the car seat was hard against her back, but it meant very little the more he groped and kissed her. She had pushed his hands off her, which had begun to wander to her ass, and had taken his moment of hesitation to throw her leg over his hip. With a bit of quick positioning, she was right in his lap. Wearing such a short skirt came in handy, as Brasidas pushed it up till it bunched up at her hips.

“Tell me if I’m overstepping,” He whispered against her lips. He sounded so hoarse which twisted her guts. “I don’t-”

“Trust me you aren’t.” She cut him off. “God, you have no idea how much I want this.”

She had masturbated to the thought of him way too much in the few days she had known him, but that wasn’t something she was going to share just yet. Instead, she kissed him again, grinding down on his hardening cock, earning her a moan. His hands caressed her back, before settling back onto her ass, kneading once again.

It was as Brasidas attempted to slip her underwear off (she thanked her past self for making the decision to wear something nice) and Kassandra lifted herself off his hips to let it happen that they heard a loud rap on the window. They had broken their kiss to look and see Alexios, giving a little wave with a smile. Brasidas all but pushed her off him, turning beet red.

The car door opened with a click, and Alexios’ head popped in just as Kassandra was fixing her skirt. “Having fun are we?”

She shot him a look, feeling like she could kill him right now and feel no remorse. The soft throbbing feeling between her legs added to her anger. “Not anymore, bastard.”

Lykaon pushed Alexios out of the way, making a comment about how he was driving, taking the attention off of them long enough to try and sort themselves out more. Kassandra got one good look at him now; Brasidas’ face was still red but he looked dishevelled in a way she had never seen before. Somehow it made him more attractive than before. When they shared a look, she was amused to find that hunger still in his eyes along with the obvious bulge in his pants. She almost laughed at how he crossed his legs as Alexios hopped in.

Not much was said on the ride back. Lykaon and Alexios spoke, chatting incessantly about the show, while Kassandra and Brasidas stayed stewing. She could feel the hunger in her grow strong, and her guts twist every so often as she thought about what they could have gotten up to. She needed him in her so badly. That need made her bold, as the two in the front were distracted, she slipped off her panties till it hung off her one foot. With a quick maneuver, she tossed them over Brasidas, whose eyes widened. She gave him a wink for good measure as he carefully picked them up.

As they pulled up into the driveway, nearly two in the morning, Kassandra could barely keep it together. Her thighs were now completely slick with arousal and all she could do was hold his hand, waiting for the moment they’d be alone. Lykaon popped out of the car quick enough, but Alexios stayed behind.

“I know the car isn’t going to be a good place to fuck so here’s a brotherly gift from me to you.” He said, opening up the door. “The guest house is vacant and it's not that hard to break into. Have fun.”

Then they were alone. They didn’t stay in the car but shared a quick exchanged a heated look that said all. Brasidas seemed almost torn between going to the house or towards the ocean where the guest house was. They had watched Alexios and Lykaon for a moment as Alexios tried to feel up his ass and was greeted only by a quick slap. Brasidas gave a laugh at that but was cut off by Kassandra wrapping herself around his arm.

“It’s up to you if you want to actually go through with this?” She whispered, eyes half-lidded. “But know I am completely willing.”

“Jesus.” He choked. She took one hand and cupped it around his groin which had gotten a small moan out of him. “God yes. Please.”

She led him down to where the guest house laid, holding their hands together. The little house was one of the original buildings on the property, though it had been renovated a few times. Kassandra, Alexios and Stentor used to have sleepovers in the house, thinking they were so adult being able to sleep alone. It was farther down on the property so if anyone had looked from the window of the main house, they wouldn’t be able to really see them, especially in the dark. Brasidas seemed to realize this as he pushed her right up against the door, the side of her face pressed hard against the wood as he slid her skirt back up again.

“Look at you.” He growled. “I would never have imagined.”

She gave out a breathy laugh as he grabbed her ass. “You’ve seen my Instagram and the ass shots I have on there. You shouldn't be so shocked.”

He laughed as well, but before he could go further she pushed off the wall, not bothering to fix her skirt. She turned around and got him back into a kiss, going in with more intensity than before. Kassandra eventually sunk to her knees, grateful that the ground wasn’t that hard and begun to nuzzle her face against his clothed cock. He weaved one hand through her hair as she unbuttoned his pants, and slipped her hand into his underwear, pulling out his cock as much as possible.

Putting one hand to his hip to steady herself, Kassandra wasted no time putting it into her mouth, relishing the noises he made. At the dinner when they first met she had thought about how this man had been like the love interest from a mommy erotica. Kassandra really hadn’t realized at the time how close she had been. His cock was big, that was one thing for sure. It was almost ridiculous how close he seemed to fit the title of 'hot man from the discount erotic novel you wish you had the courage to read'. She had a hard time taking all of him into her mouth and the struggle turned her on more. To her surprise though, he wasn’t incredibly vocal, moaning very quietly and very rarely. It drove her to take her mouth off of him, thinking that maybe something else could get him to make some noise for her.

“I could do this all night, but my knees are starting to hurt.” Not far from the truth, but the reality was that she wanted to be touched and she hated being the only one giving. He only nodded, his face redder than before. He fixed himself quickly while Kassandra worked on opening the door. A simple lock that easily popped open with a little force.

They were on each other again the second they entered into the dark room, kissing fervently, grinding into each other with little care. The layout of the room hadn’t changed too much since the last time she had been here, which meant Kassandra could easily lead him to the bed without really breaking apart. Nearly collapsing on the bed as she hit the back of her knees, she bit down on his lip before pulling apart.

“Do you have condoms?” Kassandra always carried herself, never knowing if she’d need them. They were up in her room, but she was more than willing to run up there. Thankfully though, Brasidas nodded, pulling out his wallet from his back pocket. She sat down on the bed, having a good chuckle as he checked the expiration date.

“Just being careful.” He said with a smile. “It’s been a while.”

“Are we all good then?”

He put the condom onto the bedside table and took off his shirt. Good enough answer. Kassandra worked on getting her own clothes off, leaving just her bra on. Brasidas on the other hand was taking his sweet time, giving her time to get onto the bed properly, kneeling once again. He eventually joined her, underwear still on. She was delighted to see they were boxer-brief and that they clung to him tight. And that he was still rock hard.

Kneeling on the bed, they were kissing once again, with Brasidas’ hand wandering down to his ass once more, kneading and working his way further down till he was practically fingering her. Kassandra moaned loudly into his mouth, feeling him smile before deepening his kiss. He was merciless, thrusting his fingers in a steady pattern. It was unbelievable how wet she was. Her own hands wandered as he picked up the pace, no longer kissing him but pressing her cheek against his, crying out with every bolt of pleasure.

“Brasidas,” She cried out as his fingers slipped out of her only for him to reposition so he could rub them against her clit. “Oh god, stop teasing me like this and just fuck me.”

He gave a low chuckle. “Is that what you really want?”

“What I want is to feel sore tomorrow and think about how I got that way.” She moaned. “I need that thick dick of yours in me. Now.”

“Then do something about it.” His eyes glittered with mischief, leaving her aghast. Then smiling, happy to see this part of him. She was not gentle in pushing him down onto the bed; he landed with an ‘oof’ which she paid no mind to. Kassandra had thrown her leg over his hip and they were again in the position they had been not an hour previous. This time with no chance of anyone walking in.

She took her time teasing him, giving him quick kisses whilst bringing her hand down to stroke the hard outline in his briefs. Where Brasidas had been quiet before, he was finally making noise. He sighed and moaned more as she touched him, emboldening her more, but as much as she loved playing with him, Kassandra was also so distinctly aware of her own needs. That throbbing between her legs was insistent and very hard to ignore.

“Take those off please.” She all but sang, pressing one more kiss to his mouth. She barely got off of him as she reached over to grab where he had placed the condom, as Brasidas attempted to get undressed. Impatient, she had pulled them off herself, getting them only to his knees. Brasidas attempted to sit up and get them off completely, but Kassandra had pushed him down. “Why waste time with that? You're so slow and particular. Don't you want this?."

“I do, but I am fussy. It's annoying leaving these on, even barely..” He replied, sitting back up again. She got off him for a moment to give him more space, but was back on him again in a heartbeat, ripping the sealing on the condom. For good measure, she checked the date with a sort of exaggeration that made him laugh. “Not trusting me?”

“I know better than to trust a man.” She scooted her way down a little, not really wanting to attempt to put a condom on with one hand. Kassandra had laughed at him as he watched with a sort of intensity as she worked it onto his cock, marvelling once again at just how big he was. She gave several gratuitous pumps of her hand for good measure.

And then suddenly they were there. Kassandra had always felt so powerful in moments like this, knowing she held so much power over someone. The way Brasidas was watching her, a mixture of lust and reverence would have made her blush under normal circumstances. Now, it just made her sink slowly down onto him, taking her time and enjoying how he gasped.

His hands flew to her hips, anchoring her as she bounced up and down in a steady pattern, moaning in time with each flourish. She didn’t really know what she wanted to do with her hands, caress his face, pull at her hair, or just press them against his chest. On top of that, she felt herself quickly nearing an orgasm herself. He stretched her out so delightfully that each movement sent pleasure coursing through her.

Kassandra felt like she was babbling, praising him softly and moaning out how good it was. But really she couldn't care if she was talking nonsense. Brasidas, no better; moaning and singing back praise to her. The sound of their flesh meeting almost sent her into a frenzy, making her move at an even quicker pace.

In the heat of all of it, she really did find herself lost, chasing after that high she so desperately needed. The closest she could really describe it would be an itch that needs scratching. And she was so close.

And then it hit her like a wave, consuming her completely. Kassandra collapsed onto him, burying her face into the crook of his neck as she cried out his name. He continued to thrust up into her, prolonging the feeling until it reached its apex once more. Brasidas’ hands wandered up to her back, letting out one loud, low moan. Soon enough, they were both still, soaking in the aftermath of their own release. Reality seemed to hit her that this had actually happened. Not a fantasy or some sexed-up dream. They had actually fucked. And it had been good, if not a bit shorter than she would have liked. But really, considering how badly they both had been wanting each other, she was surprised they had even made it into the house.

“Gods above and below,” He moaned against her shoulder. “That was a lot.”

She hummed in agreeance. They laid there like for that what felt like hours, letting the sweat on their skin dry. Eventually, Brasidas gave a quick tap on her back.

“Sorry,” She mumbled, getting off of him carefully. Kassandra was more than sure she was going to be sore tomorrow, just like she wanted. She could feel it in her abdomen just how much she had worked, as well as the slight cramping in her calves. As he dealt with his own mess, Kassandra went over to the little bathroom joined to the room, going through the after-sex routine. She eventually returned to him, cleaned up and still very naked, to see Brasidas slipping his briefs back on.

“I hate sleeping naked.” He explained as she made a face. “Also you really think we’re going to spend the night here? The comments that will be made tomorrow? No thank you.”

Now that was something she hadn’t thought about in her lust-filled craze. Her mother would be insufferable in that she’d pretend to be so coy. Stentor would be the opposite. Insufferable and loud. She could only imagine how the rest would be. His mother was bound to be on his case, which probably was all the deterrence he needed. But still, she didn't want this to end. Not yet.

“I would like to cuddle before we go back up then.” She said, sneaking under the covers. “That’s always my favourite part.”

Lust was gone now, but he still looked at her with reverence, making her blush now. He slipped underneath, quickly wrapping his arms around her, pressing a kiss to her forward. 

They laid there like that, taking in each other in sweet silence, not looking forward to when they would have to part.

  
-

  
Sneaking into the shared room proved to be no trouble. His parents slept away in their beds, his father snoring ever so slightly. Brasidas had to suppress a laugh when Tellis snorted and Argileonis instinctively slapped him. 

It was nearly 6 in the morning. Kassandra and he had taken their sweet time on returning to the main house. They had cuddled for a bit, chatting idly about the show they had seen and plans for the rest of the day, before their appetite had returned and they had fucked some more. And it had been amazing. Brasidas had never been a loud person in bed, much to the dismay of a few lovers, but something about her made him moan and cry out like a whore. And thinking about it all sent that all-so-familiar fire back into his gut. Which he obviously now had to ignore. He'd happily be a horny fool with her, but he wouldn't try to relieve anything when sharing a room with his parents. He had a line.

It had only been at the urgency of having to return to the house before anyone woke up that broke them apart in the end. He really could have gone all night, but like he had brought up the other company would notice them slinking back in if they weren't quick about it. Still, they had taken their time and Brasidas had given her one good kiss as they had separated into their own bedrooms. He could feel his muscles aching and the throbbing headache that came with a lack of sleep. But it had been worth it. So worth it.

“Do you want this to just be a one-time thing?” She had asked him, after their final kiss. “Cause I’m not sure I want it to be.”

“How possible do you think it could be after this week?” He had responded, knowing full well not to play just into only their wishes. It hurt him to say it. “It’s a three-hour drive between us. Could we make it work?”

They had stood there for some time, feeling the reality of their situation come in. But bless Kassandra, stubborn as always responded, “We’ll just have to text a lot. And call. And visit where we can. If Alexios could make it work when Lykaon was double the distance away, then we can figure it out. But till then, we take advantage of what we have now.”

It wasn’t going to be easy, and they were going to have to talk it out more, but the prospect of more with Kassandra made him giddy. 

He couldn't ignore how little they actually did know of each other, and how much their relationship right now was based on attraction and a unique quick connection, but he wanted to make it work.

But they’d talk about that later. And as he slipped into the covers and closed his eyes, he could barely wait for that moment to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yee fucking haw


End file.
